The Song Of My People
by TrtlTot
Summary: Lemon Scented. Lynette Bishop is one of the 100. Kept in solitary to keep her away from the guards, she thinks she gonna float when they come in to her cell. When they land on Earth, she is pleased to find a friend from her past, only he's different now. Will a new man step in or will the past still hold her heart. Though they aren't the only one's vying for her heart...
1. Chapter 1 Fallen Freedom

***DISCLAIMER***   
**I DO NOT OWN THE 100**

This story will closely follow the show with the edition of my OC and some personal exchanges between her and other characters.

Please read and review.

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"Prisoner two-seven-four, face the wall." Lynette Bishop rolled her eyes as she got to her feet and turned to face the wall. "Hold out your right arm."

"So this it? You're gonna float me?" she asked with a sneer.

"Quiet." One of the guards slapped a surprisingly painful metal bracelet over her right wrist. She looked over at the cold thing. It struck her as odd that they were going to accessorize her before her death.

"What's going on?" She heard a noise just before a sharp pain bit into her side. She looked down to see the dart just as her vision went black. The darkness was thick as she tried to wake herself back up. It was akin to swimming in oil. She got snippets of sound first. Then she could feel her eyelids start to flutter. She was jostled awake to find herself strapped into a seat and squashed between the other residents of the sky box. _So they didn't float me…_

"Prisoners of the Arc, hear me now." Lynette rolled her eyes at the sound of the man who believed lecherous guards over a teenage girl. "You've been given a second chance. As your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this, not as just a chance for you, but as a chance for all of us." She was going to barf. He didn't give her a chance when a guard claimed she assaulted him. Sexually. "Indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would have sent others. Frankly, we're sending you, because your crimes have made you expendable."

"Your dad's a dick, Wells." Lynette was surprised to hear that he was on this strange ride of theirs. Why was the good boy with all the criminals? What could he have possibly done to earn himself a ticket?

"Those crimes will be forgiven. Your records wiped clean." He was lying. He had to be. Lynette wouldn't trust anyone in power ever again. Man or woman. But especially not a man. "Your drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain." She stopped paying attention to the nonsense that the Chancellor was spewing to witness a far more interesting sight. One of the guys had gotten out of their restraints and was floating around. She found herself whooping with a few others at this display.

"Check it out. Your dad floated me after all." It was the guy who had gone for a walk in space and had wasted a month's worth of oxygen. She was impressed and kind of jealous. She wanted to know what it was like to be weightless. She wanted to wriggle free of her straps and float around, too. Then she remembered what woke her in the first place and thought it wiser to remain secure. It seemed she wasn't the only one who wanted to join Finn and his float about the ship. It also seemed that she was the only smart one of the group.

Two other guys cut themselves loose and started floating around. It really did look like fun, but Lynette felt another jolt run through the ship. No. She was going to stay strapped in until they landed. Then she'd have fun. Finn was talking to Wells and— _I'll be damned…_ Princess Clarke. She was the one in solitary for whatever reason. Not that Lynette could say much. She'd been put in solitary as well to keep herself and the guards separate. She was surprised that mommy hadn't sprung her. This was going to be interesting with the Good Twins around.

Too fast, the ship lurched, sending Finn and the other two floaters flying. Lynette gripped on to her safety straps, pleading with the fibers to do their job. The lights flickered and sparks flew. People screamed. It was like a nightmare. They were all going to die. All because Jaha wanted to make some bid for survival on Earth. They were going to die, because the adults in power were all a bunch of pansies. Great.

A sudden force pushed from beneath her. A serious feel of deceleration rushed up the ship and Lynette thought she was going to vomit. The lights flashing off and on were not helping the feeling. A wash of sparks caught her in the chest and she screamed at the heat they brought. She wasn't burned, but her clothes were singed and she was freaking out. Everyone was freaking out.

Then everything just stopped. She could hear things powering down and the sounds of heavy breathing filled her ears. She could feel her heart in her throat. Her knuckles were white from her grip on the seatbelts.

"Listen," called one boy strapped to the wall in front of her. "No machine hum." He was right. It was so quiet. Hollow even. As if on command, all the latches released on the straps. Lynette pulled the straps free and she rushed from the seat. She had to see it. Earth. Though they could get radiated to death on opening the door… Then again they would all suffocate and die in here if they didn't. So, dead anyways, she might as well try to enjoy the view.

"The outer door's on the lower level! Let's go!" someone shouted. She was all for that. Then Lynette saw the princess crouch down. _That's right!_ Finn and the other two guys. She made her way over to Clarke in time to hear her disagree with opening the doors. Lynette sighed and squatted next to Finn.

"Are you alright?" she asked. She pushed her waist length locks back over her shoulder and looked at Finn. He was pale and looked on the verge of tears. She could only guess at what he was thinking, because he seemed outwardly fine. If she was right about his train of thought… She would probably cry if she were him. She'd feel responsible for the deaths of those other two guys. She didn't even know their names… It made her sad to a certain degree. "Come on." She tried to get him to his feet and worked him to the ladder. There was nothing to be done for those boys now, no use in drowning in something you couldn't control.

"That's Octavia Blake! The girl they found hidden in the floor!" What a thing to climb down a ladder to. Lynette paused in her descent and looked over at the door to see a male and female, both dark of hair standing together. If the girl was Octavia, then Lynette was willing to bet the guy was Bellamy. Octavia looked like she was trying to fight the crowd, but the guy held her back. He muttered something to her, but Lynette was too far to hear them. Whatever it was made her smile and then they both turned to the door. Lynette reached the floor and pushed to the front of the crowd. They were going to open the it.

The dark haired male pulled the door release and smoke and white light flooded the chamber. Lynette had to blink at the bright eye invasion. She hadn't realized just how gloomy it was in the ship until right then. It was beautiful. So green and bright and crisp. She only ever imagined what it would really look like down here. So to actually see it… Her breath caught in her throat. And the smell. She had never been so happy to smell something in her entire life. It was sharp, yet sweet, with a little musk. Watching Octavia walk down the ramp and take the first steps on Earth in nearly a hundred years was amazing, but Lynette was a tad jealous.

"We're back, bitches!" screamed Octavia. Lynette couldn't agree more. People cheered before rushing on to the planet. It was a thrill. It had been a year since she had felt such clarity, such freedom. She jogged into the woods and danced. There was no music and she didn't need any. She was just too happy to be alive.

"Lynette?" a voice called to her in a questioning tone. She turned in the middle of her little dance and her gaze fell on an old friend.

"John!" she screeched. She ran at the younger boy and launched into his arms, legs wrapping around his waist, arms around his neck. He hugged her tight as he carried her surprise weight.

"It's good to see you, too, Lyn," he said with a breathy smile, letting her to her feet.

"Oh my god, I missed you," Lynette couldn't stop smiling. "Not surprised to see you, though." She playfully punched her friend in the shoulder and some other guys gathered around them.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Guys, this is my friend, Lyn. We go way back," John Murphy introduced her to the guys and she shook all their hands. She had to wonder what they were all in for. She had to wonder if they knew what she was in for. If they did, and thought they could use that against her… Well they would be sorely mistaken. "So, hey. Happy birthday."

"Yeah, I would say," Lynette laughed. Today was her eighteenth birthday. When those guards came into her cell, she was sure she was going to die. Instead she got the best possible present ever. Earth. "Some gift." Their little group had walked a short way when she spied Wells manhandling someone. She nudged John and nodded in their direction.

"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off of him. He's with us," spoke John with some authority. Lynette was impressed by his tone. Then again, when they used to spend time together, she was usually the one doing all the talking. Clarke was with them and the guy from the wall. She arched a brow and decided to simply watch how things went down. John was a big boy now; he could handle himself. Plus, she wasn't a big fan of the Prince and the Princess.

"Relax. We're just trying to figure out where we are," answered Wells. His hand movements implied surrender. He wasn't looking for trouble. Though what made him think he could just put his hands on someone? _Daddy's not here to save you now, Wells._ It wasn't that she didn't like him, it was more that he had never known the pain that she went through. He was privileged. But now, down here, things were going to be different. The sooner he realized that, the better off he would be.

"We're on the ground." Lynette whipped her head to the left, seeking the owner of the voice. It was that guy who opened the door. Octavia was standing beside him. That only confirmed for Lynette that he was indeed Bellamy Blake. Brother. Ex-guard. Janitor. What was he doing here? And wearing that jacket? "That not good enough for you?"

"We need to find Mount Weather." Wells was walking towards Bellamy now. This could go wrong with a quickness if Bellamy didn't like Wells. Bellamy looked like he could take care of himself. Plus, if her info was right, he _had_ been a guard. Wells, however looked like he had a purpose. "You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority."

"Screw your father," said Octavia. Lynette nodded her head in agreement. Chancellor Jaha was going to float her for something that wasn't her fault. Forget him. "What? You think you're in charge here? You, and your little princess?"

"Do you think we care who's in charge?" The princess was one of the rare blondes on the Arc. Pretty, blue-eyed, and privileged. Lynette had an instant dislike of her. Now, she didn't know her personally, but she didn't need to. Clarke had everything she wanted. And got herself locked up. Lynette knew it wasn't fair to blame Clarke for whatever she had been accused of. She could be like herself and been framed. Somehow Lynette doubted it. "We need to get to Mount Weather. Not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a twenty-mile trek. Okay? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave. Now."

She had a point. A good one. She may not like the Chancellor or want to do his bidding, but they would need food. Lynette was already feeling a tad peckish… She looked to John, noting how he didn't seem to care. He wouldn't be going, she could tell. Lynette chewed the inside of her bottom lip. She didn't actually want to do any work, but going to the mountain would grant her the ability to see the area and get something to eat.

"I got a better idea," started Bellamy. "You two go. Find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." Lynette smiled at that. People cheered, agreeing that Clarke and Wells should do some work for once in their lives. Lynette was still going to go with them, but mostly for her own means. She wanted to see this new world of theirs.

"You're not listening," and then Wells opened his mouth… "We all need to go." Lynette rolled her eyes. John was the one who seemed to have had enough with Wells speaking. He brushed passed her and pushed at Wells.

"Look at this everybody, Chancellor of Earth." Lynette let out a breath of laughter. Wells really was acting like he was the new Chancellor. _Their_ Chancellor. Oh this was going to be interesting. Or at least that's what she was thinking before she saw Wells swallow. She knew that the next words out of his mouth were going to be a mistake.

"You think that's funny?" he asked John. Apparently, John did not because instead of responding with words, he moved on him, sweeping his ankle and sending the other man to the ground. Clarke cried out in alarm and some of the guys around Lynette moved to hold the blonde back. Lynette had the briefest curiosity as to whether or not it had been John's plan to gang up on the prince all along. She hoped not, because that was just low. Wells got to his feet and there was no mistaking the limp he now had. It didn't seem to matter to either guy; they were both determined. Lynette was getting bored with the shuffling between the two of them and was about to say something when Finn spun out of the air. She looked up to where he apparently came from and had to wonder how he got up there in first place. _Guess he's not called Spacewalker for nothing._

"Kids got one leg," he said, calm as a cucumber. "How 'bout you wait 'till it's a fair fight?" Lynette watched the back of John's head, waiting to see what he would do. Then she sighed and moved to his side. She placed a hand on his chest the other on his shoulder, holding him gently from behind.

"He has a point, John," Lynette said sweetly to her friend. "This is just boring." He looked to her, the look was not friendly at first. It was as if he didn't realize it was her. She blinked at the taller man in mild surprise. Yes, it had been a year since they had seen each other, but had he changed that much?

"Hey, Spacewalker," called Octavia. Lynette and John both looked to the girl, though John's gaze went quickly back to Wells, watching him with an animalistic stare. Finn turned to Octavia, smile on his face before he was really looking at her. "rescue me next." Lynette smiled at that. The floor girl had balls. She might actually like her. It was then that John walked off, grabbing one of his male friends. Lynette looked across the group and caught Bellamy's gaze, though it was more for his sister than anyone else, before heading off after her friend.

"John," she called. He slowed his pace for her to catch up. Lynette might have been older, but John was taller by nearly a head. "What was that?" He looked at her tersely before turning form her. She narrowed her eyes at his back as he took but a step away from her. No way he was going to ignore her. She launched herself at his back, taking him to the ground. "Have you forgotten who I am? You might be bigger than me, Johnny boy, but I know how to make you weak in the knees."

She had all of her weight on his back. The guys they were with stepped back from the two of them. She pressed her chest into his shoulders trying to keep him pinned to the ground. Her long light chocolate locks covered his face and hers, most of it in the dirt. They used to wrestle before she was locked away. They used to do a lot of things, but times have changed. A lot, it seemed. He did a sort of push up and grabbed one of her arms. John pulled her from his back and scrambled on top of her.

"I haven't forgotten," he whispered to her. The moment was suddenly more intimate than she had wanted, especially with an audience. She head-butted him and scrambled from under him as he sat up to clutch at his forehead. She could feel the ghosts of hands on her and she shivered, visibly repulsed by her memory.

"I'm sorry," she said not making eye contact. His friends just milled about not really looking at either of them, obviously uncomfortable. "I didn't—you were…" She got to her feet and dusted herself off before holding a hand out to him. He refused her hand and got up on his own.

"I know," was all he said as he walked away from her. She was left alone in the woods with the feel of unwelcome hands grabbing at her. There was a reason she had been locked away. A reason she hated Jaha. And her father. This was all his fault. Because he had to gamble. Because he couldn't pay off his debts. Because she was all he had… She grunted and stalked back towards the drop ship. Following the sounds of voices.

Lynette walked into the middle of a conversation between Wells, Clarke, Finn. She figured they must be talking about Mount Weather and got closer to them. Wells looked grouchy as ever. He was sitting down so Lynette could assume why his sour puss face. Finn turned and grabbed at the kid that Wells had handled earlier and the kid who had been strapped in front of her on the ship. Now that she really looked at them, they both had been on the wall.

"Four of us," Finn said. Lynette arched a brow. Did she hear correctly. Was he volunteering people to go with them? "Can we go now?"

"Sounds like a party," Octavia joined the group just before Lynette was even with them. "Make it five." Of course, close behind was her brother Bellamy. Was he going, too?

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Guess not. Concern was plain on his face. He must really care. _Or he's controlling as hell._

"Going for a walk," answered Octavia. Cute.

"Call it six, 'cause I'm coming, too," Lynette said, interrupting the conversation with her announcement. Though that seemed like small fry compared to what Clarke noticed.

"Where you trying to take this off?" She grabbed at Finn's wrist and there was indeed a large scratch on the bracelet. That caused Lynette to look at her own wrist. Why were they wearing these things anyways? They had to have a purpose. The real question was: Did Lynette care what its purpose was? Not really, no.

"Yeah. So?" Finn responded.

"So, this wristband transmits your vital signs to the Arc." Well that was interesting. Lynette still didn't care. She was getting bored with all the standing around, she wanted to explore. She didn't care about the Arc anymore. She hadn't for nearly two years. "Take it off and they'll think you're dead."

"Should I care?" Good question, Finn.

"Well I don't know. Do you want the people you love to think you're dead?" Finn seemed perplexed by that thought. Lynette on the other hand would be just fine if her father thought she were dead. If he hadn't been floated yet. God, she hoped he was gone. "Do you want them to follow you down here in two months, because they won't if they think we're dying." Lynette popped her neck and found herself looking at Bellamy. He had such a cute face. She wondered what he was thinking. He looked like he had an idea. "Okay. Now let's go."

Finally. Lynette swept her hair over her shoulder, wishing dearly that she had a tie or something with her. Alas, she did not. All she had was what she was arrested with. Her boots, her jeans, her tank top, and her jacket. But no hair tie. She grabbed at the wavy mass and started turning it in her hands. Maybe she could get it to stay in some weird spiral bun? She walked as she wound it up and spied John watching her from a distance. She looked away, not wanting to read his face. Octavia caught up to her with a bright smile. The younger girl looked ecstatic to go explore the area.

"That looks cool," she gestured to Lynette's hair. She had just finished spinning it and was now trying to make the corded bun.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile.

"Think it'll stay up?" questioned the younger girl. Lynette pulled it tight as she ran out of hair. It seemed steady for the moment, but there really was no telling. Maybe the dirt she got in her hair from her little match with John would help keep it together? Maybe not.

"I hope so. Unless you have a hair tie on you?" she asked Octavia. The girl actually checked both her wrists before shrugging. "Damn." Lynette and Octavia both laughed. It was nice to laugh. Lynette felt like she hadn't laughed in forever. "I'm Lynette Bishop." She introduced herself. She already knew who she was talking to, but let Octavia introduce herself anyways. She then picked up her pace when she eyed the princess catching up.

Lynette caught up to the boys and greeted them in turn. The two boys she didn't know were Monty and Jasper. Monty was twirling some plant between his fingers while Jasper simply smiled and adjusted his goggles on his head. He had such floppy curls and Lynette wondered if they were as soft as they looked.

The group had been walking a while, moving in the right direction, but taking in the sights as well. This place was so beautiful. Lynette wanted to find a nice corner and just live up in a tree. She could do that right? Of course she could, who was going to tell her otherwise? No one. She was walking with Jasper and Monty, finding them better company than Clarke, while Octavia was busy trying to get close to Finn.

They were passing through what looked like embankments of violets, though Lynette was never one for plants. She thought they were pretty, but she didn't really know one from the other. That was not her thing. Singing was her thing. She'd actually been humming the entire time they were out. The boys paused and Lynette almost ran into Monty. She peered around her new friends and watched Finn put one of the pretty flowers in Octavia's hair. Jasper mumbled something about game and Lynette just snickered behind them.

"That, my friend, is poison sumac," spoke Monty plucking one of the small flowers. Octavia had a mini freak out, swiping the flower from her hair.

"It is?" she asked.

"The flowers aren't poisonous. They're medicinal. Calming actually," he answered, shoving the flower into his mouth. "Like her humming." Lynette's brows rose. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear her. Nice to know someone liked it though.

"His family grows all the pharmaceuticals on the Arc," Jasper said, answering the unspoken question. Lynette was impressed. She plucked a few of the flowers and tucked them gently into her pocket. Maybe she could shove some of them down Johns throat and get him to relax long enough for them to get reacquainted. Probably not, but it didn't hurt to have a few on hand.

"Hey, guys. Would you try to keep up?" called Clarke from a short distance in front of them. Lynette rolled her eyes dramatically and sighed. Maybe she should make her eat the flowers… Finn asked her how she blocked everything around them out. Seriously. They were on Earth. The first people to do so in ninety-seven years. And the blonde princess didn't seem to care. She then answered in a very Clarke manner talking about the fact that they hadn't seen any animals. Or that they had been exposed long enough to die from radiation.

"We probably haven't seen any animals, because we're traipsing around the forest, making all the noise possible," Lynette answered sarcastically. Octavia looked at Lynette before nodding in agreement. Even Jasper agreed. "As for the radiation, I think we would know by now if we were going to die from it. Question: anybody feel nauseas, tingling, or wrong in general?" Everyone but Clarke shook their heads. "No? Then yeah, I'm pretty sure we're good." Clarke walked off in a huff as a response to her. Octavia then made a comment that seriously mirrored Lynette's earlier thoughts. Oh yeah, she could like this girl.

"I gotta know what you two did to get busted," asked Finn after cresting a small hill.

"Seriously, you two are too good to be bad," Lynette said with a smile. She tugged gently on Jaspers hair as she passed them up. Monty implied that they had pretty much smoked up the garden. Jasper complained that someone forgot to replace what had been taken. Lynette laughed.

"Why didn't I meet you guys before I was locked away?" she giggled. "It would have made certain things infinitely more bearable." She wasn't smiling now.

"What did you do, Lyn?" asked Monty. She cast a glance over her shoulder and thought about telling them the truth, but she knew that they would change how they acted around her. She would have, were she in their shoes…

"My father gambled," she said instead. "That's really all I want to say about it." She had a tight smile on her face. Monty simple nodded, accepting her answer for the half-truth that it was.

"What about you, Octavia?" Jasper asked stupidly. "What they get you for?" Really? Did he not here what people said before they left the ship earlier? Everyone tensed, knowing the answer.

"Being born," she said. She then picked up her pace and moved ahead of the group. Lynette let out an annoyed breath and looked back at Jasper with an irritated expression before rushing after Octavia. The girls didn't get far before they were with Clarke. The blonde was crouched and quiet. It took a moment, but then Lynette followed her line of sight and found what had silenced the other girl. There was a deer. It was just standing there, nibbling on the terrain. _So much for no animals,_ Lynette thought with a grin.

Finn was the next to get to them. Clarke turned to him with a finger pressed to her lips. He dropped instantly into a squatting position between Clarke and Octavia. Lynette felt, more than saw, Monty and Jasper come up last. Everyone was stock still and quiet as possible. It was amazing. The first animal they had ever seen. It was slender and a pale greyish tan color. The antlers marked it as male according to all the old texts. She so desperately wanted to go up and touch it. If she remembered what the teachers said on the Arc, deer, if approached gently, were quite nice.

"No animals, huh," spoke Finn softly to Clarke. She seemed too in awe for words, but she did smile at the boy. Finn then moved forward. Lynette followed him closely, as silently as she could. If he was going to touch it, she was, too. She grabbed lightly on to the back of his jacket, making sure the two didn't go too fast. Finn then stepped on a twig, snapping it. The deer reacted, head coming away from the ground and swinging in their direction. Everyone jumped back slightly; gasps all around. The deer had two heads. Not even seamlessly, but more like something pushed two together and the meat of the faces caved in the grossest way possible. It must have spotted the group, because it just hopped off. It moved like a deer. Looked like a deer. But with two faces… It took everyone a moment, to deal with what they had seen. Once everyone was able to walk and think and breathe again. They walked in silence for a bit before they got to a hill.

"Know what I'd like to know?" called Finn as they made their way down the steep hill. One wrong step would mean rolling to the bottom. And it was quite the obstacle course on the way down. "Why send us down today after ninety-seven years? What changed?"

"Who cares?" answered Octavia. "I'm just glad they did. I woke up rotting in a cell, and now I'm spinning in a forest."

"I second that," called Lynette. "Today's my eighteenth birthday. If they'd waited any longer, I'd be floating in space, dead. Instead I'm down here breathing real air." To show her happy state, Lynette actually did a front hand spring. She had a bright smile on her face, trying her damnedest to forget that weird deer. The action got a cheer from Octavia and Lynette smiled even more.

"Maybe they found something on the satellite," offered Monty. It seemed no one was really in the mood for fun anymore. Two-faced deer will do that to a person. "Ya' know? Like an old weather satellite or…"

"It wasn't a satellite," spoke Clarke from the back of the group. "The Arc is dying." Everyone stopped and turned towards her.

"Say what, now?" said Lynette, baffled by her statement. Everyone looked at Clarke as she just trudged on like she hadn't said anything of import. Even Lynette, who had no one she loved up there, was surprised by the news. She had friends… And they were going to die…

"At the current population level, there's roughly three months left of life support. Maybe four, now that we're gone."

"So that was the secret they locked you up to keep?" Finn asked her. Worry was etched on to his pretty face, but his brain was apparently working full steam ahead. It made sense. Clarke was the only one beside Lynette who had been in solitary confinement. It made sense that she had to have either done something traumatic or knew some deadly secret. Deadly secret it was… "Why they kept you in solitary? Why they floated your old man?"

"My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw," answered Clarke. Lynette was surprised… How long ago did this happen? Was it while she was locked up? Or had she heard about it and just forgotten. People were always being floated for stupid reasons… So she almost never paid any attention unless one of her friends were involved. "He thought the people had a right to know." Damn straight they did. "The council disagreed. My… Mother disagreed." Of course they did… "They were afraid it would cause a panic. We were going to go public anyway when Wells…"

Now it all fit together. The princess agreed with her father. And the prince agreed with his. That's why they were fighting. Lynette could understand the council's worries about causing a panic, but to just stand silently by, letting people die… No one ever knowing the truth… They were going to start killing people if Earth didn't present a viable option. Lynette just shook her head in disgust. Not just any people, but the working class. Those would be the first to go…

"What, turned in your dad?" Finn finished Clarke's sentence. Yeah, that was it. Her bestie betrayed her and got her father killed. Clarke skipped over any form of confirmation, stating that the guards showed up before they could get the message out. Just another reason to dislike people in power. Especially when Clarke said that even if they all died on Earth, at least the Arc had more time. Time… paid for with the lives of children. Monty voiced Lynette's thought about them killing more people. In a morbid way, she was glad that she wasn't the only one thinking it…

"Good," Octavia said. All eyes went to her. "After what they did to me, I say float 'em all." Lynette couldn't necessarily disagree, but at least she had friends. Octavia didn't. All she knew was a hole in the floor and that they would kill her for being alive… If Lynette didn't have friends still on the Arc… Yeah. They could all die and she'd be just fine. But that wasn't case… Jasper hurried off after Octavia and Lynette simply followed. First the deer and now this. Her walk was getting way too heavy.

She didn't go too far, passing up Jasper without really looking. It wasn't until she stood next to a half-naked Octavia that she realized what was going on. There was water. A nice little river. And Octavia was no longer wearing pants. She smiled at the younger girl and followed suit, un-zipping her boots.

"Octavia! Lynette! What the hell are you doing?" called Clarke with alarm. Octavia had moved closer to the edge of a cliff of sorts. It provided a nice jump off into the water. Lynette simply smirked in Clarke's direction and pulled her socks off. Octavia said nothing as she jumped into the water. Lynette watched with a smile as Octavia swam about in the refreshing looking water. Monty called out about who they couldn't swim. Which was very true. For all of them. Octavia's response was to get to her feet, showing that the water wasn't too deep to tread through. Lynette pulled off her jacket and just laughed. Clarke, the ever-thinking type, mentioned that there wasn't supposed to be a river there. Finn quickly dismissed her worries and the whole group was stripping. Lynette had just gotten out of her pants when she saw something in the water.

"What's that?" she asked no one in particular. She wasn't the only one to see it. Whatever it was.

"Octavia, get out of the water," demanded Jasper. Lynette squinted at the approaching figure, realizing all too late that it was a lot bigger than was safe to swim with.

"Octavia!" she screamed, panic streaking her voice. The younger girl turned to face the thing. It was then that everyone else saw it too. They all called to Octavia, but she seemed frozen. The thing grabbed her pulling her under water. She screamed as the creature forced her back above the surface of the water. Then she was gone. A stillness fell on the group. No one knew what to do. Octavia broke the surface again and everyone was suddenly in action. Lynette ran to the shore, wading in, but not too much. They needed to get it away from Octavia. "Distract it!"

Collectively, they pushed large rocks into the water. Lynette started splashing angrily where she was near the shore, hoping it would let Octavia go. If it appeared that there was bigger prey in the water, it might get bored with Octavia. The haphazard plan worked and Jasper took off to get to where the creature had left Octavia. But now Lynette had its attention. She kept splashing, slowly backing up the shore until she was sure that A: the creature wouldn't get her and B: that Octavia was safe. As soon as Jasper had her safely on dry land, Lynette rushed out of the water as quickly as possible. The creature brushed by her leg, not able to get that close to shore. It felt slippery and scale-y but the look of it… It was too wide, too round to be some sort of snake, but it didn't look like the pictures she had seen of eels either. _What the hell was that thing?_

Lynette was up and running before she could catch her breath. She got to where Jasper had pulled themselves ashore and half collapsed in joy to see that they were okay. Scratched and possibly scarred for life mentally, but alive at least. Monty joked about saving the girl and tension eased in the group a bit as they laughed. Lynette just leaned against Monty, half exhausted, half stressed to death, half over-joyed. She smiled at her new friends, Clarke included, and was glad they were safe, but now they needed a new plan to get across the river.

By the time they were dry, night had fallen. Octavia was obviously cuddled up to Jasper. Finn and Monty were laying close by, with Clarke the furthest from the small cluster. Lynette was laying semi close to Monty, not touching anyone, but not too far. If that thing in the water was any clue as to the dangers this land provided… Yeah she was going to stay as close as possible. Just as sleep claimed her, she noticed Finn wander off.

 _Her dreams were littered with peaceful images from the day. The way that dew bubbled on leaves. The color of the sumac flowers in the light. The way the moss clung to the trees. The smells that were forever surrounding her. Lynette was running through the woods with John chasing after her. He tripped behind her and she laughed as she hurried back to check on him. When she couldn't find him her heart jumped into her chest. A_ _hand_ _grabbed her wrist and spun her into a tree. John was leaning over her with a surprising look. She had expected lust, but that wasn't what she saw. His eyes held malice. The sky darkened around them and the air grew cold._

" _I missed you Lyn," he spoke, but that wasn't his voice. Before her very eyes, John Murphy morphed into her father. The_ _forest_ _was_ _still there but now her father pushed her into the tree and he was enraged. "Why did you have to get caught, sweetie. My friend never got paid. Go take care of him for daddy, yeah?" With that he stepped away from her and a guard uniform was all she saw. His hands pawed at her, touching her like she was tool for use and then to be discarded. He was another pig who had cheated her father out of something. Who had known that she would be the prize if he won. Was her father even trying to win anymore? Or did he not care since he knew that all his bets were secured in_ _his_ _daughter's thighs?_

Lynette woke with a cough. The sun was bright and warm on her skin. Monty was squatting next to her head looking at her with concern. He arched his brow with an unspoken question, but Lynette just waved him off. He offered his hand and they got to their feet. It would seem that while she was out, Finn had come up with a way to get across the river and keep moving to Mount Weather. She followed Monty to see Finn and Jasper tugging on some spun vines.

"You wanted to go first, now quit stalling," called Clarke with a smile on her face. It looked like someone had done some bonding while she was asleep. Lynette smiled. Jasper mumbled something that she couldn't hear, but she heard Finn. Apogee? She could only guess what they were talking about only hearing one part of the conversation. Finn then saluted Clarke after her attempt to get him moving. He then said something else to Jasper. Just as he was about to swing across, Jasper called for him to wait. After some quiet word exchange, the two of them switched positions. Looks like Jasper was going to be first to swing across. Impressive.

They all watched with semi-baited breath. This was either going to be epic or disastrous. He paused for a bit, fear making itself known on his face. Lynette knew he could do it. She believed in him. He had saved Octavia after all.

"See you on the other side." And he was off. It looked amazing. He whooped the entire way over. His landing looked rough, and everyone hurried to get as close a view as possible. He hopped to his feet and cheered. Everyone did. It was so awesome. Lynette couldn't wait for her turn now. She was beyond excited. If he could do it, so could she. She felt herself begin to go hoarse with her enthusiasm. He started to do a little dance and everyone laughed. Jasper called his jubilation back across the water when Clarke stepped up to take her turn. He picked something up off the ground. It was a sign. Literally. "We did it! Mount Weather!"

However, joy turned to terror as a spear cut through the air and slammed into Jasper's chest. He was sent back with such force. Everyone went quiet for a second, looking around for the origin of the spear while Clarke called to Jasper. Finn pretty much dragged everyone to cover as quickly as possible, still looking for whoever threw that spear. Lynette cast her gaze to and fro over all the trees, but she didn't see anything. She heard more than she saw, but that was hard over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

"We are not alone."


	2. Chapter 2 Trail Of Blood

Thank you all so much for the follows and favorites. It means a lot to me! I hope I don't disappoint.

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They ran. It was like almost every nightmare Lynette had ever had. Except she wasn't alone. It wasn't dark. There were trees instead of walls. And she was fairly certain that whatever was chasing them weren't guards. Ahead of her she could see Monty and Octavia. Behind her she could hear Clarke and Finn. She didn't look back to make sure it was them. She wouldn't. Anytime she looked back in a nightmare, the big bad got in front of her. She couldn't afford that now.

So Lynette ran. She leapt over fallen trees and treaded swiftly over thick roots. Every now and then and surprise branch would roll under her foot, but she always managed to keep running. Falling would mean death. Or at least that's what her adrenaline addled brain kept screaming at her. She wasn't sure if it was fear that propelled her so deftly through the forest or if she was just a natural runner, but she knew somewhere inside that she would not fall.

Unlike Monty. He crashed face first into the dirt. They all skid to a halt to help him up, but he was focused on something buried in the moss before him. Finn and Octavia got him to his feet and it took everything in Lynette to wait for them. She knew her way back to the dropship. She could just keep running. No. Monty was her friend. A new one albeit, but a friend still. And Jasper was just lost to her. She couldn't leave Monty. When she looked to see what the holdup was with getting him going, she saw what held his attention so strongly. Bones. He had come face to ribcage with bones. At a glance they looked human, but it was as if her brain wasn't really letting her see. They needed to keep going, or they would be the bones on the ground.

"Who are they?" breathed Finn with some effort. It would appear that their lives were not as important as studying the old death at their feet. Lynette forced out a tight breath. Her lungs worked to keep her breathing, but otherwise she overall fine. They should worry about the bones when they weren't the ones in danger.

" _What_ are they?" Clarke corrected holding up a misshapen skull. Begrudgingly, Lynette would have admitted that it was a good question. Even she, in her state of panic, was mildly curious about what kind of creature had a head shaped even remotely like that.

"We are so screwed," panted Octavia.

"Well can we be screwed back at the ship?" questioned Lynette, eager to get as far from the river as possible. A guttural cry ripped through the forest. Everyone turned to the direction that they had just come from.

"Jasper," spoke Clarke, giving voice to probably everyone's concluded thought. "He's alive!" With that she pushed through the group and started to run back towards the river. Finn called for her to wait and the rest hurried after. To go back right now was to die. But they went anyways. Lynette's eyes were wide as they retraced their steps, scanning for any sign of movement among the trees. Just before they were back to the water, Finn grabbed Clarke begging her to stay in the trees. At least someone was thinking clearly. Lynette wanted to save Jasper too, if they could, but right now they had an injured party member and no way to defend themselves. They needed to regroup.

"He was right there," said Finn. Lynette had been trailing slightly, keeping an eye on the entirety of the group. When she crept up behind him she saw what he meant. Jasper was gone. Dead or alive, he was gone. Monty asked where he was and Clarke gave answer.

"They took him." Whoever _they_ were, they took him. And so they were up and running again. This time no one fell. They ran in a line damn near. Clarke was leading with Monty and Octavia behind them. Finn was after with Lynette bringing up the rear. She was forever aware of their surroundings. It didn't seem like there was anyone following, but she couldn't be sure. As they neared the ship, the sounds of shock and excitement could be heard. Clarke and Finn made it to the semi cleared area first. Lynette and Monty were helping Octavia. Clarke called for Wells and when Lynette eyed what was happening, she left Octavia and moved towards Wells and John. They were fighting.

Lynette stopped just at the edge as Clarke marched right up to the pair, demanding that Wells let John go. It was obvious that everyone had gathered to watch the fight. _Would they have let them kill each other?_ Lynette thought with irritation. Wells pushed John to the ground as he let him go. Before Lynette could move, John was up and rushing Wells. Bellamy caught hold of him before he could get far.

"John!" called Lynette. Bellamy and John both looked in her direction, but it was Octavia and Monty that drew Bellamy's attention. He called to his sister and left John to his own devices. Lynette went to John and immediately began checking him over. His face was a mess. Looked like the prince did know how to take care of himself. She tugged at his jacket as she looked at him, searching for hidden wounds. He slapped at her hands and the look she gave him was not a friendly one. He sighed in defeat as she felt around inside his shirt. He was seemingly fine. It was really just his face that had been worked over. Pleased to see that he was at least relatively unharmed, she dropped her head on his chest with a long breath of relief.

"Where's the food?" A dark humor nearly possessed Lynette and she struggled not to laugh at Bellamy's question.

"We didn't make it to Mount Weather," answered Finn. Lynette turned from John and looked at Bellamy with a sad expression.

"What the hell happened out there?" he asked, obviously pissed off. Lynette looked to Octavia, figuring that her wounded state was the cause of his anger. Maybe he did care about his sister?

"We were attacked," Clarke responded. Her tone felt strained in Lynette's ears, though that might also have to do with the fact that they had just ran through the forest roughly three times. The fear was evident none-the-less.

"Attacked?" inquired Wells. "By what?" Lynette looked to him. He had a cut in his sleeve and a scratch on his brow, but he otherwise seemed fine. She then glanced back at John. Obviously, he wasn't as big and bad as he was trying to be. Lynette rolled her eyes.

"Something that can wield a spear with lethal accuracy," Lynette responded.

"Not 'what.' 'Who?'" corrected Finn. "Turns out when the last man from the ground died on the Arc, he wasn't the last grounder."

"It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong," announced Clarke. "There are people here. Survivors." Whispers started growing in the assembled crowd. "The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us."

"The bad news is, the Grounders will," Finn added a negative twist to Clarke's pretty speech.

"If we don't kill each other first," muttered Lynette, glowering between Wells and John. What was with these two? Why did John hate Wells so much? Or was it even Wells he saw when he attacked? Lynette was willing to bet that only a few people actually saw Wells. She was also willing to bet that most saw his father and all the wrong he had done them.

"Where's the kid with the goggles?" asked Wells. Lynette cast her gaze to her feet. She hadn't forgotten… She was just hoping that no one noticed. To notice was to admit that they had been forced to leave him behind.

"Jasper was hit," started Clarke. Lynette shuffled closer to John. It was a habit she had thought long lost. When she felt his hand at the small of her back, she tensed at first, unused to the feel of someone trying to comfort her instead of hurt her. She took a breath and relaxed. She didn't move closer, but she didn't step away. She wanted to be how she used to be. She would not let her past ruin her future. No matter how bleak it looked at the moment. "They took him."

Clarke looked down and just like that, the entire conversation shifted. Wells didn't have a wristband anymore. With a look to Bellamy, it was obvious he had forced it off. When Clarke asked how many had been removed, it was John that spoke up. They had taken twenty-four bracelets off with the intent for more. Lynette glanced her own metal clad wrist and found herself hoping that the rest of the Arc wouldn't come down. If the rest came down… Then certain people would be around her again and she wasn't sure she could handle that. John's hand slid up to the center of her back as if he were reading her thoughts. Lynette knew he was trying to be comforting and she was trying to let him.

Clarke called them all idiots and explained the true purpose of all of them having been sent to the ground. She let them all know about how the Arc was dying, just as she had told the others the day before. Lynette knew there would be some mingled in them that would see an error in what they had been doing. She knew that others still would want the bracelets off even more. Did Clarke know that not everyone cares what happens to the Arc? That a lot of the people surrounding her were wronged by the people there? Lynette knew that not all of them were guilty, but she knew even more that there were plenty who were not innocent.

Clarke did make one very important point, however. The Arc, and her people, could help fight back whoever attacked them in the woods. Fight whoever took Jasper. But the people who could fight… Would also try to control them all again. They would remember their _crimes_ and shun them. Jaha was a liar. They would never be forgiven. So the real question for Lynette was whether or not they really needed the Arc or if they could handle this themselves? If the Arc came down…

"We're stronger than you think," Bellamy spoke now, addressing not just Clarke, but the entirety of the people around them. "Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same?" Not a damn one. Maybe Monty. He was smart. Maybe Jasper if he survived. If they got him back. But no one else. Not really. Definitely not Lynette. "We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm, it makes you a prisoner. We are NOT prisoners anymore!" That got cheers from the crowd. Even got a smile out of Lynette. That's what people needed to hear. They needed to hear that they were all big kids now. The Arc definitely thought they could handle themselves. Or at least thought they were trash enough to discard them on a bid for survival. "They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're NOT criminals! You're fighters. Survivors! The Grounders should worry about us!"

So far, that last part was the only thing she didn't agree with. The Grounders had weapons and crazy accuracy and they knew the lay of the land. The hundred had nothing. Cheers erupted from the crowd anyways. It would seem that no one had the same thought process as Lynette when it came to the fact that they had no weapons. It was obvious that Clarke didn't agree at all as she walked off. What got Lynette's attention was Monty following after her. Curious as to if they would talk about rescue efforts for Jasper, Lynette turned to follow them. John grabbed her wrist before she could walk off, however.

"You're going with her?" he asked. Lynette cocked a brow up at his question. Then smiled.

"I don't want the Arc to come down, if that's what you're asking," she smirked. Lynette took a small inhale and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Baby steps. He seemed surprised by her action, but a smile spread quickly over his features. "Go wash your face." With that, she hurried off after Monty and Clarke.

Lynette found Clarke up the ladder in the dropship pulling together the safety straps. She didn't really know what to say to the blonde. She was sure that they stood on opposing sides of this civil dispute. Clarke grabbed the map and stuffed into a makeshift bag. She was out of breath.

"Breathe," Lynette said. Clarke looked up, she obviously wasn't expecting anyone else to be there. She didn't get a chance to say anything before Wells made himself known. He looked at Lynette with a sense of confusion, like he was wondering why she was there. He half joked about how his father had said they didn't leave them anything and meant it. There was an instant tension in Clarke that made Lynette want to leave the area. So she did. She knew the prince and the princess were on the outs, and would much rather not get involved.

"You came back for reinforcements, I'm gonna help," Wells said as he and Clarke came down the ladder. Lynette was standing near the door while Monty was much closer to the pair.

"Clarke, he's right," called Monty as she kept walking. Lynette looked at them and wondered what she was thinking. No one else was lining up to help. Yet she wanted to turn away a willing and able-bodied person because she was having a fight with them? Lynette rolled her eyes at Clarke's childishness. "We need him. So far, no one else has volunteered." Lynette was pleased that Monty had said it instead of her, because she probably wouldn't have been too nice about it.

"Sorry, Monty, but you're not going either." She was crazy. Did Clarke plan on just going by herself? Lynette hadn't had the chance to say that she was going with her.

"The hell I'm not," was Monty's answer. It was a good one, too. "Jasper's my best friend."

"You're too important," said Clarke with a very matter-of-fact tone. "You were raised on Farm Station and recruited by Engineering."

"So?" Seriously, what was Clarke's point.

"So, food and communication," Oh. Now Lynette understood. She even agreed. "What's up here," Clarke pressed a finger to the side of Monty's head, "is gonna save us all. You figure out how to talk to the Arc and I'll bring Jasper back."

"I will, too," said Lynette, finally announcing that she was going with. Clarke turned to her and gave her once over with her eyes before smiling in concurrence. It was then that Finn walked in.

"Hey. Are you ready?" Clarke asked him. His face said everything before he could even open his mouth.

"I'm not going anywhere. And neither should any of you. That spear was thrown with pinpoint accuracy from three hundred feet." Finn was scared. Lynette couldn't really hold it against him. She was, too. But Jasper was out there and in pain. She wouldn't leave him. She might have thought Clarke was crazy if she was going to go by herself, but Lynette would have done it, too.

"So what, we let Jasper die?" retorted Monty.

"No," responded Lynette with a quickness.

"That's not going to happen," Clarke looked back at Monty as she spoke. It was a promise. Lynette knew one when she heard it. Clarke then turned back to Finn and insulted his nickname. He was more talk than walk and she made it known that, that's what she thought of him. Finn tried to defend himself, stating that this whole ordeal was a suicide mission. Lynette let out a breath and followed Clarke out as she left without another word. Wells was close behind. The three of them walked through the landing site and came upon Bellamy and Octavia. She was explaining what the others claimed the creature that attacked her looked like.

"You could have been killed," he said to her, a mixture of anger and concern threading though his voice.

"She would have been if Jasper didn't jump in to pull her out," Clarke interrupted the siblings. They both looked up at the group.

"Are you guys leaving?" questioned Octavia. She moved to straighten out her makeshift bandage and get to her feet. "I'm coming, too" Bellamy shut that idea down immediately, keeping her seated as he stood up instead. Lynette had to wonder why Clarke had lead them over here in the first place. Was it just to tell Octavia that they were going? Hopefully she wasn't here to recruit the injured girl for their mission.

"He's right," Clarke spoke in agreement. "Your leg's just gonna slow us down." Harsh, but true. Lynette noticed John standing nearby and gave a small smile. "I'm here for you." She was looking at Bellamy with a straight face. Oh! That was surprising. Wells questioned Clarke, and Lynette, not minding the attractive company, was simple amazed that the blonde would trust him at her back. "I hear you have a gun." He did? Lynette looked to John and he just smirked. Bellamy's answer was to lift the side of shirt enough to spot the black weapon tucked into the side of his pants. "Good. Follow me." Surely, Clarke didn't think it would be that simple?

"And why would I do that?" Lynette really liked the sound of Bellamy's voice. She blinked a few times, realizing what her thoughts were doing. She didn't like being touched by anyone. Not even John, who had seen her at her worst and kissed all the boo-boo's away. Yet, here she was liking how Bellamy looked in his cloud grey tee and the timber of voice. Apparently she was broken, but still alive and wanting. She ran a hand through her hair. This conversation was taking too long. Jasper was out there, and they were standing around dawdling. Or that was how she felt anyway.

"Because you want _them_ to follow you," Clarke was implying that he wanted to lead the people. Considering his speech earlier, Lynette could see how that might be a thing. "And right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared." Lynette snorted quietly and her words. The princess has got her big girl panties on today. Perhaps they really could be friends. John shot her a glare, which Lynette returned three-fold. Lynette had seen the dark side of the Arc and it showed in her every look. John conceded defeat by lowering his gaze. Clarke also seemed to have won her small staring contest because she just walked off. Lynette followed.

"Murphy," Bellamy called John by his last name. Lynette stopped and turned to her favored friend with a smirk on her face. "Come with me." The smirk grew into a grin and she proceeded with her walk in Clarke's direction. Bellamy gave a few other commands before he and John followed after.

Lynette traveled between the two pairs. Not really wanting to walk with Clarke and Wells or being super comfortable with walking with Bellamy and John. Now, of the four of them, Lynette actually knew John quite well. They had kind of grown up together. Her mother died of an illness a few weeks before Johns father was floated. They had been neighbors. Around the time that her mother had gotten sick, john had come down with the flu. Of course due to all the restrictions on the Arc, neither of them were getting enough medication. Lynette's mother figured it was a better idea to put faith in in the young and passed all her meds to Johns family. She died without the medication, but Lynette never held any ill will towards John. It had been her mother's choice. She slowed her pace to walk with her one actual friend on the ground.

"I'm getting that wristband," Bellamy said. "Even if I have to cut off her hand to do it." Lynette's brows rose in question and Bellamy just shook his head and brushed passed her.

"Friendly," she whispered to John. He smiled at her and slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her in close. Lynette was both surprised and relieved by his action. What was more surprising was that she hadn't tensed at all. She grabbed the hand draped over her shoulder and laced her fingers with his. She then spun out of his grasp. "This isn't a leisurely outing. Also, you can take my wristband whenever you want." She smiled as she moved faster. They were being left behind.

"Hey. Hold up," called Bellamy. The two groups were strafing parallel to each other with Lynette trailing slightly behind. She didn't know if the spear wielder was still out there or not, but she was keeping an eye out just in case. Bellamy had drawn his gun at some point and Lynette couldn't remember seeing him do so. "What's the rush? Won't survive a spear through the heart."

"Put the gun away, Bellamy," said Wells, getting between him and Clarke.

"Why don't you do something about it?" John pushed him from Bellamy. If Wells and Clarke were the prince and the princess, then Bellamy was trying to become king. Lynette had to wonder what that made John. What did that make her in this strange power struggle? Obviously she was a bishop. It was her last name and it fit. She was currently zigzagging back and forth between the two groups like a bishop moving diagonally across the board. What bothered her was whether or not John was a pawn. He had knight like tendencies, but would Bellamy just discard him when his purpose was completed? What was his purpose? Lynette worried for her friend. And the people he kept close to him.

Yes, Lynette was sort of attracted to Bellamy, but did she trust him? No, she did not. But it looked like John did. She hoped that he was just clinging to the man and if she could get over her own issues and manage to get close to him again, there would be some semblance of the way things used to be between the two of them. Something about the look in John's eyes told her that was like hoping for snow in hell.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him," spoke up Clarke.

"It's true," Lynette said with a calm tone. It was more to reassure them that they were out there with a purpose than it was to defend anyone. How were they supposed to get anything done if they were fighting each other. This was stupid and Lynette was half tempted to just leave without them. The thought that she wouldn't be able to carry Jasper back kept her with the group. That and thinking that maybe whoever took him was guarding him.

"If the spear struck his heart he'd have died instantly," Clarke had a certainty to her tone that implied she knew what she was talking about. Though in retrospect in was kind of common sense. "Doesn't mean we have time to waist." Clarke made to turn and continue walking but Bellamy grabbed her wrist.

"Just as soon as you take this wristband off, we can go," he smiled smugly. Clarke jerked her arm from his grasp.

"The only way the Arc is gonna think I'm dead," she started, getting real close to Bellamy, "is if I'm dead. Got it?"

"Brave princess," was all Bellamy said.

"Why don't you find your own nickname?" Lynette spun at the sound of Finn's voice. He had joined them after all. "Call this a rescue party?"

"This is a shamble of a pissing contest," answered Lynette before anyone could say anything. The group looked at her for a moment before Finn spoke again.

"Gotta split up, cover more ground."

"Couldn't agree more," Lynette simply walked off with that. She was done standing around. She didn't wait to see if anyone else was in motion or not and just trudged off toward the river, sweeping to the right and away from the group. She was never too far. She could hear the murmurs of her group but she couldn't actually make out the words. She was mildly curious, but not enough to entrench herself with them again. She wanted to find Jasper. Needed to.

"Hey," A hand grazed her arm and she knew who it was before turning. John stepped into view and he looked… apologetic? "Sorry about earlier."

"Why are you apologizing? You have zero reason to do so," she said calmly. She wasn't mad at John. She wasn't even sure why he was apologizing. They had both been separated for so long. Of course he changed. She had. Possibly not for the better. "Everybody changes with time. I know that best of all. Just wasn't expecting… so much change." The two walked in silence for a while. Looking for any sign that Jasper had been through there.

It wasn't too long before Clarke found them. She looked alarmed, but with the slightest tinge of relief. She said the she and Finn had found something. The group converged at a waterfall. It was beautiful. Lynette wanted to just stay there and pretend that all the bad things that had ever happened in her life were all part of some twisted dream. But she knew that Jasper was out there and needed help. She couldn't stay.

Finn, apparently a tracker now, lead them around. At first, Lynette was skeptical, but she was starting to see what he did. Broken pieces here and there. A foot print every now and them. A single drop of blood. It was like some awkward trail for them to follow. How did the others not see it? Did they and just not recognize it for what it was? She wanted to ask, but she was positive it would spark some kind of argument within them. These people were just so volatile together.

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" called John from the back of the group?

"We don't," responded Bellamy. Definitely not going to bring up all the semi-obvious markers that said it was. "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

"It's called 'cutting sign.' Fourth-year Earth Skills," explained Wells. "He's good." Lynette didn't remember that course. Must have been locked up before she could take it. She just went with what her gut was telling her.

"Want to keep it down or should I paint a target on our backs?" said Finn a bit terse. He was right. They already made enough noise with their movements. No need to make more.

"Seriously guys, quiet," Lynette spoke just loud enough for them to hear. Finn found another marker of sorts. Another broken plant limb. Lynette squatted beside the plant as he looked it over and found a yet another sign. Just a few drops of blood on a rock. Still warm. They couldn't be too far behind. As if to accentuate their closeness, a pained moan sounded in the distance. Now they had a sure direction.

"What the hell was that?" asked John, sounding a little tense. Lynette just looked towards the noise in silence. She knew exactly what it was. Who it was.

"Now would be a good time to take out that gun," was the only answer that anyone got. Clarke was right of course. If they were close to Jasper, they were close to his captors. They didn't run, but they jogged at a hunch, trying to stay low and move quickly. More moans lead the way, so there was no need to look for signs anymore. It was both helpful and terrifying. What they found was more so.

Jasper was tied up in a tree. He was barely awake and groaning in pain. The tree was leafless and covered in moss. Jasper was shirtless with blood streaked down his torso; the blood most likely his own. The oddest thing about the entire setup was the fact that there was something over the spot where his wound should have been.

"Oh, my god," Clarke breathed as she moved forward.

"Clarke, be careful," said Finn, close behind her. Lynette moved to one side of the tree, trying to scope out a semi-safe way up it. The rest moved straight towards him, right up the middle.

"What the hell is this?" queried Bellamy. To Lynette it looked like some kind of offering. _Or a trap._ As soon as she thought it, she turned from the tree and started scanning the woods. If it was a trap, they were all in it now. As soon as Lynette turned from the group, she heard Clarke cry out. She whipped back around to find her dangling in a pit with Bellamy the only reason she wasn't dead at the bottom. Lynette rushed to the two of them. Finn called to the pair, but it was like Bellamy went deaf. Lynette ended up directly behind Wells, helping in pulling Clarke back to safety. She felt Wells shift in front of her and assumed he was getting a better grip on Bellamy.

They pulled her up and Finn looked her over, but she was fine. Maybe rattled, but alive. Lynette shook her head and went back to where she had been looking for a better way up. This place was definitely a trap. Whether or not it was for them, had yet to be determined. Lynette found a seemingly safe route, and started up the tree. When she looked back at the group, she found that Finn and John were climbing up the other side. She nodded when they spotted her. John looked a bit on the worried side to see her up there, but she couldn't worry about that now.

The moss was thankfully dry, but very fragile. She scuttled over the tree limbs, mostly on all fours, keeping her center of gravity low. There came a moment where she had to jump to another branch to continue. She got to a point where she ended up somehow above Jasper and the other boys. She looked down on them with an awkward stare.

"Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" questioned Wells. Clarke had mentioned the poultice on Jaspers chest and it was a good question.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing," responded Bellamy morbidly. Lynette hadn't thought of that. She had thought about it being a trap, but she hadn't actually thought about what the Grounders might be trying to trap besides them. She tensed on her little perch at the thought.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us," said Finn. That had been one of Lynette's original thoughts, but it still didn't bring her comfort to know that someone else was thinking it. Trying not to wonder about it, she started picking at the ropes holding Jaspers hands above his head. She was going to have to cut them. She didn't have anything to cut them with, however.

"I need a knife," she called. Lynette had expected for maybe Finn or John to have a spare on them and hand one up to her. What she had gotten was a knife hurled dangerously close to her head. There was a solid thud where the blade embedded itself in the tree directly over her head. Eyes wide, she looked down at Bellamy with a slight anger in her gaze. He could have killed her! He just smiled up at her before looking back out at their surroundings. Lynette huffed and wrenched the knife from the tree and set about cutting the vines around his hands. A low growl sounded from behind her in the brush.

"What the hell was that?" sounded John with alarm.

"Grounders?" there was concern in Bellamy's voice. A tinge of fear. A shiver ran down Lynette's spine as she cast her gaze over the trees. If that was a Grounder, she did not want to meet it. Then she saw it. In a small clearing, too close for comfort, was a large black cat. She knew it wasn't actually a cat, but she couldn't place which feline it was from history at the moment. All she knew was that it could kill them. All of them.

The large cat crouched for a moment, looking like it was about to pounce. Then it charged at them. It snarled and adrenaline flooded through Lynette. Clarke called for Bellamy to use the gun he had, but the feline was closing fast. Lynette was not going to watch someone she knew get mauled by some sleek toothy creature. She bunched on herself, ready to propel herself out of the tree. The sound of a gunshot stopped her, and she nearly fell from her perch instead. Wells had the gun and was firing at the cat. He wasn't a bad shot, but he wasn't good either. One bullet caught the creature in the leg, but it kept coming. It took a sharp right and vanished into the trees.

They could still hear it and Lynette was glaring into the foliage. She did not want to be taken by surprise. The plants rustled here and there, indicating where the cat was and Wells tried to aim through the green. Bellamy looked out into the woods as well, trying to figure out where it would come from next. The growls and snarls were so varied, that Lynette was starting to think there might be more than one. One thing she did remember from her history lessons was that cats were not pack hunters. Or at least not most of the time. She really hoped there as only one feline out there…

It was quiet suddenly. Too quiet. Lynette could feel the adrenaline seeping out of her and her body began to hurt with how tense she was. She was not ready to believe that it was over. There was no way. It got shot in the leg. That is not how things die. Though a second thought flittered through her head and she realized that if the bullet had hit a major artery… Maybe it did die? It hadn't. The black feline leapt out of the foliage at Bellamy and before Lynette could think, she was air born. A gunshot sounded at the same time, but she couldn't worry about that now. She hit Bellamy, taking him to the ground and the cat dropped beside them. Lynette looked at the still growling creature and cursed her stupidity. Though, the cat didn't move. It was dying. She heard some strange clicking noise and realized that Wells was still trying to shoot it, but he was out of bullets. The feline died while she and Bellamy stared at it.

"Are you okay?" she breathed, looking down at Bellamy. The look he gave her was one of sheer surprise, but he still nodded. She couldn't say she wasn't expecting that. She was surprised with herself really. She had just launched herself out of a tree to save someone she didn't really know, or trust. Yes, she was attracted to him, but that was about it. She could have been killed, by either the cat or the bullet had Wells missed. And she still did it.

"Are you?" whispered Bellamy. She nodded her head and proceeded to get off of him. She managed to roll off of his body, but standing was seemingly out of the question. When she tried to get to her feet, her knees gave out. Shock and adrenaline had won over her body. She couldn't walk. She looked up at Bellamy with a half-smile and just shook her head. Without any words, he scooped her up in his arms. She thought she would have tensed at his touch, but her body was just too dead to do anything but slump into him. He turned toward Clarke and Wells in time to see him drop the now empty handgun to the ground. "Now she sees you." Lynette didn't know what he was talking about, but she didn't care. Whatever it was, was between the two of them. And maybe Clarke.

Finn and John got Jasper cut down while Clarke and Wells put together a makeshift gurney. The gurney wasn't working out so they were going to have to carry him. Bellamy held Lynette probably longer than necessary, but she was fine with that. Right now he was like a warm security blanket with arms, and at the moment those arms were keeping her world upright. She had tried to save him, though Wells had made that irrelevant, which she was thankful for, but still the thought was there. She eventually tapped him on the shoulder and he let her down and she was able to stand for herself. She gestured down to the cat—panther—and suggested taking it back to the ship. It wasn't pretty, but it was food. She helped him gather up the chute that Wells had brought to carry Jasper back. Since it wasn't working out the way it had been intended, Lynette suggested wrapping the cat in it instead.

Once they were all set to carry Jasper and their meal back to the dropship they set off. The sun was setting and Finn was leading them back through the forest, though his arms were full of Jasper, so he was actually directing Clarke and she was physically leading. Discernable signs of their recent passing were a bit hard for Lynette to see, but she was certain in Finns ability to find the way back. It was good that she didn't have to lead either, because Jasper would moan every now and then. Not wanting to attract unwanted attention to them, Lynette walked behind Jasper and sang softly. It seemed to quiet him and that made her smile. Now the real test would be whether Clarke could save him or not. She was the only one with any medical background; her mother being the head doctor on the Arc.

The trek back was long and slightly cumbersome, with Jasper and panther, but they were getting close. Everyone seemed a bit antsy and Lynette wondered if she sang louder if it would help them out, too. It worked for Jasper, so maybe it would help soothe the rest of the group? She thought hard about what to sing, going through all the old songs she could remember. Some of them were over a thousand years old, but they were her favorites. Finally, she picked one that she thought would soothe them the most.

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high  
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.  
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue  
And the dreams that you dare to dream,  
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star  
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.  
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,  
High above the chimney tops,  
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly  
Birds fly over the rainbow  
Why then, oh why can't I?  
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow  
Why, oh why can't I?"

The tense air around the group dispersed a little as she sang. She was glad that she was able to do something for all of them. The relationship between them as a group might be caustic, but at least for now, no one was trying to kill anyone. Lynette hoped that they could work passed the coarse landing and get along. They were going to need to be able to if they planned on surviving for very long.

Fire could be seen through the trees. They were finally back. Once they passed into the camp, Monty and Octavia were on them. Monty wanted to know if Jasper was alive, which he was. Clarke gave out a requisition order for boiled water and cloth. Lynette stopped outside the ship, knowing there was nothing further she could do and hoped that Doctor Clarke could do this. Instead she looked back and watched John and Bellamy dumped their prize in front of the others. People were both amazed and disgusted by the sight of it.

"Who's hungry?!" shouted Bellamy to the crowd. Cheers resounded throughout the area. Everyone was happy at the thought of food. Lynette smiled and moved closer to the two men she had just spent the day with. It was nice knowing that at least this day hadn't ended in terror. No one was dead and now they had food. They could do this. They had to.

The panther was taken away to be skinned and cleaned and sticks were procured to cook the meat on. Bellamy then had the idea, that if you wanted to eat, you had to give up your bracelet. A few people were against it, which was understandable given Clarkes earlier speech. Others were happy to get rid of theirs. Lynette gave her wrist over happily to John and he pried her wristband off. It hurt, but once the metal band was free, Bellamy handed her and John some meat with a smile. Of course, Finn and Clarke were against removing theirs and Finn simply walked up to the fire and took some meat. John tried to stop him, but Finn responded with Bellamy's words, stating that there were no rules. Lynette watched him walk off and knew that things were only going to get worse before they got better.

"Can I talk to you?" John whispered in her ear. She looked at him with a mouthful of meat and just nodded. He took her by the elbow and lead her away from the others. She swallowed her food and was about to ask what he wanted to talk about when he turned and took her face in hands. She had no time to react before his mouth was on hers. Her past, their past, came flooding to the forefront of her mind and she kissed him back. One of his hands left her face and pulled her closer, holding her to him. She broke the kiss for air and stepped back from him, eyelids fluttering.

"What was that?" she breathed. All he did was grab on to her wrist and shake his head.

"Don't ever do that again?" he whispered.

"What are you talking about?" she was honestly confused. He looked her in the eye and the moonlight showed fear.

"You jumped out of a tree," he started, "to save Bellamy from a panther. Don't ever put yourself in danger like that again." Oh. So that's what this was about. "Promise me." Lynette looked at her feet. She wanted to promise, but she had a feeling deep in her gut that if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep it. John took her chin in his free hand, and gently made her look him in the eye.

"I can't," was all she said. Before John could respond, Bellamy came from around a tree.

"Murphy, we got first watch," he said. His eyes flicked between John and Lynette. John just nodded and walked off toward Bellamy. He didn't look back, but Bellamy kept looking at her. Lynette nibbled at her meat and walked away. She didn't know what to do or what to say. So she just left. She wandered out into the forest and ate her meat. She sang quietly to herself and eventually just plopped down at the base of a large tree and stared up through the canopy. She squinted into the dark, wishing the moon were brighter.


	3. SERIOUS NOTE

I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to put this story on hold.  
My beta brought a post on tumblr to my attention.  
I was appalled by its contents.  
There are at least 5 sites out there are stealing everything off of this websites and using adds to make money off of our stories.  
I searched each website and found stories and entire profile.  
They have stolen our work.  
I will not be posting my current work, until these matters have been resolved.  
Do know however, that I will continue to work on it.  
I am very sorry for the inconvenience.  
I will post a link to a post containing the 5 sites.  
I pray you search for stuff and report the sites.  
Please alert your favorites authors.

(( post/138957822930/all-fanfictionnet-stories-have-been-stolen ))


	4. FINAL UPDATE

Hey! So I'm back, but not really.

I'm only here to say that I have switched sites, and will not be back. As I recently got some notes on this story, I thought I would properly redirect you all. I **am** still working on this story. I have been going through a lot, so it's not as far as I would like, but I am still writing.

However, I will not be posting the work here. If you still like to read the story you may do so.

I have taken the story in a different direction than I had originally intended and that was cause for a new title. Now called Strangers No More, I hope you continue to read it and let me know how I've done.

Thank you so much,

TrtlTot

link: {{/works/6033700/chapters/13835836}} on Ao3. Since the site doesn't want to let me put in the entire link...


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